


To Be Blind Means You See All Except For Colors

by todaydream



Series: The Cloud and Sun [4]
Category: Naruto
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, F/M, M/M, Multi, Original Character - Freeform, Original Female Character - Freeform, Soulmates, basically everything is different, civilian!Naruto, narushika - Freeform, shikamaru x naruto, shikanaru - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-06-25
Updated: 2016-11-01
Packaged: 2018-07-14 21:55:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,071
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7192322
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/todaydream/pseuds/todaydream
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Naruto has been blind for as long as he can remember, it has never bothered him. Even now that all his friends are 16 and are seeing colors for the first time. After all for him, seeing nothing is better then one day seeing the colors fade back to monochrome.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. A Trip to the Village

**Author's Note:**

> OC, Seina Ryuu, is Naruto's caretaker and is the same age as Kakashi. I've adjusted the timing in this story, everything happens 3 years later then cannon. Therefore, Kakashi and Seina are 16 when the Kyuubi attacks. Itachi is 9 when the Kyuubi attacks. All of Naruto's age group are born three years later then cannon too. The Kyuubi attack is the same as cannon except for the timing, everything else is different though

The Hokage has Naruto in his arms. He sways back and forth humming a soft tune. In an hour, there will be a council meeting to determine the fate of the child. Naruto may be the Kyuubi container but he is also the son of Kushina and Minato, like hell will Hiruzen let those ignorant civilians commend him to death. The baby moves in his arms and Sarutobi looks down just as Naruto opens his eyes. Matte, milky films cover what the Hokage can only guess would have been bright blue eyes.

Although the fact that Naruto is blind is unfortunate and saddening, Hiruzen cannot help but think how this will help sway the council's decision. After all, what kind of threat will the Kyuubi container pose if he cannot see?

* * *

The council meeting goes better than expected. Once it is revealed that Naruto is blind they find no reason to fear him, even the ones who think him to be the reincarnation of the Kyuubi. Children with disabilities like Naruto's are not allowed in the ninja academy -- so that also eases their minds. The container will never have the ability to see or the power to defend itself so he is as it seems, a defenseless child with a disability. Naruto's status as a jinchuriki is classified as not only an S-class secret to the children but also to those who aren't a part of the council. The Hokage makes it explicitly clear that if anybody leaks the secret or treats Naruto less than a stranger he will investigate everyone and the culprit(s) will be executed because their loose tongues can leak the information to the other villages. Even though Naruto will never be a ninja he is assigned one ANBU caretaker, given the name of Uzumaki-Namikaze, and is allowed to live at the Uzumaki-Namikaze estate. This tells everyone in the room of the boy's parentage, not that they are allowed to spread it around. Even the civilians are aware of how much danger that would put the son of their beloved Yondaime in.

Danzo thinks it is a damn shame that the jinchuriki and son of the Fourth Hokage is disabled. He would have been a strong weapon then again all the boy needs is a new pair of eyes. A smirk forms on his lips.

* * *

Kinryuu is an ANBU. A ruthless killer who does what she is ordered too. She is a persona Seina adopts to cope with the morbid, bloody missions that are assigned to her. But this mission is much more different than the usual, it involves taking care of a life not taking one. This is her final mission and if she has to go through some identity issues to complete it then so be it. She takes off her mask revealing a heart-shaped face, black almond eyes, button nose, olive skin, and black hair in a short hime cut.

As she holds the blonde baby in her arms she can't help but be in awe of his flushed face, "Hello Naruto, I will do everything to protect you."

* * *

Naruto is a very happy baby. His smile brings light into her days and they are as vibrant as the orange onesies he seems so fond of even though he can't see them. She tickles his whisker birth marks. He seems to purr at the touch. Once she lets go he claps. It is his first birthday, not that he is aware, but Seina makes sure to celebrate properly anyways with orange decorations every where. Although it is just the two of them.

Seina was a newbie ANBU when she saw the back of the hair of her soulmate, the silver mane easily telling her his identity. However, she didn't want anything to get in the way of her career. She swiftly left before he could realize she was there for the team meeting and went to the Hokage to request an immediate transfer. Since then, she has never wanted anything to do with Kakashi Hatake. Romantic love is not something she wants nor needs. Though she does feel guilty for staying away for him and thus keeping Naruto away. The Hatake probably thinks that Naruto is dead, after all, she hasn't taken Naruto into the village and the council has been forbidden from saying anything.

These thoughts are pushed away when Naruto climbs into her lap. He holds her face in his tiny hand with a look of innocent concern -- a weird mixture of ignorance and sadness. He stands up on her legs and gives her a kiss on the cheek, something she does whenever Naruto hurts himself. Seina smiles at him and tickles him. Once he calms down, Naruto gets comfortable on her lap and falls asleep. She smooths out his hair and gives him a kiss on the forehead. Naruto has yet to form any coherent babbling which might have something to do with the fact that he only has her to talk to. Maybe she should take him to the village? He is going to grow up as a civilian.

* * *

The Uzumaki-Namikaze estate is in an unusual place. Most ninjas live by the Hokage's office and the Ninja Academy, but when Minato and Kushina were looking for a house they wanted one far away from their ninja lives. As an overpowered not-really-civilian now, Seina is rather grateful for this because there is the very unlikely chance that she will run into anyone from her life as Kinryuu.

"Mama," Naruto says as Seina buttons up his black fall coat, "where we going?"

"Well, it's my special kitten's birthday so to celebrate we are going out in the village."

He whoops, "Can we try ramen from that place on the flyer?! I think it's called Ichiraku's!"

Considering that Naruto hasn't been outside of the gates of the yard in five years she is inclined to say yes. However, she has been to Ichiraku's before and it is in the very center of where the majority of ninja's live. "We can go," she caresses his whiskers and as always he seems to purr, "but don't forget the rules. Stay close to me and don't talk to anybody."

Because of his is blindness Naruto's other senses have been greatly enhanced. Seina suspects that it is the Kyuubi's doing. With his other four senses Naruto can walk about as if he can see. Seina makes sure that Naruto's henge changes the appearance of his eyes and covers his whiskers before they leave. Once they step out into the village, a variety of scents hit Naruto but the most apparent one is the saltiness of ramen. Saliva forms in his mouth and he pulls Seina in the direction of the smell.

"Come on mama, the ramen is over there!"

Seina shakes her head in amusement, "What do you want to do after that?"

Naruto stops and scrunches his nose in thought, "What can we do?"

"We can go to the park afterwards, but we have to be back home by sundown." Naruto nods with a giant grin and they continue walking.

At the ramen stand, Naruto is bouncing up and down and Seina has to sit him in a stool to force him to calm down. "What would you like, young man?" A man with a name tag that says Teuchi Ichiraku asks.

Naruto blushes and leans closer to his motherfigure, he's never talked to anybody besides her. Seina gives him a comforting kiss on the cheek, "I'm sorry. He's not used to talking to strangers but it's his fifth birthday so two bowls of miso pork ramen with extra pork for him and one bowl of miso pork ramen for me."

Teuchi gives them their bowls after a few minutes, "Here you go, I hope these bowls will bring you back to my shop."

Seina smiles, "I'm sorry Mr. Ichiraku, we don't go out into the village much. I'm a bit over-protective when it comes to Naruto."

At the name he raises an eyebrow, "Please, just call me Teuchi...You know some years ago I used to have two number one customers who loved ramen so much they talked about naming their son after a topping." The store owner winks at Seina, "I can see why you guys don't venture into the village often but we do deliver, just a call away."

Seina nods and they spend the rest of their meal eating quietly. "Was it as good as you hoped it would be Naruto?" The blonde jinchuriki nods and jumps off the stool, filled with energy to go to the park. "How much?" Seina asks.

Teuchi waves, "Since you two are first-timers and it's the little man's birthday its on the house."

"Whoa, old man Ichiraku you're so cool!"

"Naruto its not polite to call people old!" Seina scolds.

Naruto rubs the back of his head sheepishly, "Sorry Ichiraku-san." Teuchi chuckles as they walk away, he's used to how kids act as his daughter Ayame isn't much older than Naruto.

  **~~~**

At the park, Naruto can hear the foot steps of all the kids along with their shrieks and laughter. He begins to feel nervous when he counts more than 10 kids there and snuggles deeper into his mama's leg. Seina crouches to meet Naruto's eyes. "No need to be shy, kitten. Just go play and see if the other kids talk to you." He hugs his mama and shakes his head.

"Ummm...Excuse me?" A voice calls from behind Naruto. His mama stiffens before turning to the owner of the voice. She stands to look at him with narrow eyes like if he did something wrong. Naruto can sense her suspicion.

Her sight flickers once she looks at him and because of this her black eyes quickly analyze the boy before her. He has black eyes and hair, deathly pale skin, couldn't be older than 15, and very obviously a Uchiha. His sharingan isn't activated. Therefore, she can't blame him for her split second of lost sight. She's pretty sure that the sharingan doesn't have the ability to do that anyways. Then again, the bloodline's secrets are closely guarded by the clan so she knows only as much as they allow her.

"Hey lady!" A chibi besides the Uchiha says. They must be related, brothers most likely. The older one hits the chibi on the back of the head.

Seina laughs, "My apologies. I'm afraid I've lost some of my manners. It's been a while since I've been to the village."

Itachi raises an eyebrow. He doesn't find anything suspicious about the woman, but he notes that she doesn't quite carry herself like a civilian or a ninja. "Itachi Uchiha, and this is my younger brother Sasuke," he greets. Itachi extends his hand and tilts his head to his younger brother telling him to do the same.

Seina smiles. Something in Itachi burns but he has two years until he is "of age." He decides to ignore it. "Seina Ryuu, and this is my son Naruto Uzumaki-Namikaze," she pushes the boy forward and he shyly waves hi.

"If he's your son why don't you guys share the same name? He doesn't look like you either!" The smaller one says with childish curiosity and superiority. It makes Seina want to bonk him on the head, instead her eyebrow twitches.

Naruto frowns, "Mama said that my mom and dad helped beat a huge fox that attacked the village and died. She kisses me goodnight, gives me food, and hugs me when I cry. Your mama does that, right? Which means she's my mama."

Itachi easily concludes who Naruto's parents are. Anyone who looks at the child can figure it out and his last name gives it away. He looks back at Seina. He figures that there's more to her than meets the eye. No one would leave the son of a Kage in the care of a civilian. Exactly who is and how powerful is she?

The blonde tugs his mama's hand. "I wanna go home. I don't like the outside anymore."

Seina picks Naruto up and leaves before Itachi can even force his brother to apologize. He sighs, "Sasuke those are some very important people you just insulted. Father will be angry when I tell him about this incident."

"He's a clanless orphan! I've never head of an Uzumaki-Namikaze or a Ryuu clan!" Sasuke says with crossed arms.

"Sasuke!" Itachi scolds. "You're being rude and mean, what's gotten into you? Besides, you've never heard of them because you haven't been educated in the ninja arts. Also, there are plenty of nearly extinct clans in the village that even I haven't heard about. Now, lets go home. Father will want to hear of this incident so that he can arrange a meeting with them. You possibly just insulted two head of clans!"

**~~~**

At home, Naruto sleepily rubs his eyes. "I don't wanna go back if others are gonna say mean things like that."

"He's from a ninja clan with the surname Uchiha. They are known for a power in their eyes called the sharingan. It let's them copy moves and see a thing that ninja's use called chakra. The clan is also known for their 'I'm better than everyone' attitude. It's important to remember that not everybody is like that boy, but there are people who are...I remember hearing rumors of Itachi Uchiha when I was younger. He graduated from the Ninja Academy at 7 years and is considered one of the most talented ninjas in Konoha. Sasuke-kun and Itachi-sama are the sons of the person in charge of the clan. But I don't think I've ever once heard of Itachi-sama speak the way Sasuke-kun just did," his mama says as she tucks him into bed.

"Were my mom and dad from a clan?"

"Your mom was the only Uzumaki left from her clan. Your dad was an orphan -- like you he didn't have his mom or dad. But once he became Hokage he established a clan. When your parents married they, merged their clans making the Uzumaki-Namikaze clan...Naruto, you do know that because you can't see you won't be able to be a ninja right?"

"I know," he says without a hint of sadness. "Will they take away my mom and dad's stuff? Since I won't be a ninja I can't be in charge of a ninja clan, right?"

"Don't worry kitten, leave it all up to mama." Naruto giggles because she called herself mama. Seina kisses him on the forehead, "Good night, kitten."

"Good night, mama."

* * *

A month passes since the incident at the park. Fugaku has not been able to contact Seina Ryuu to arrange a meeting for a formal apology.

"I'm sorry Fugaku. Seina is the caretaker of Naruto so she is also the proxy of the Uzumaki-Namikaze clan as well as the head of the Ryuu clan. Two weeks ago, she submitted the paperwork to convert the two to civilian clans and I approved them. Because due to Naruto's disability, he will never be able to become a ninja..."

Fugaku immediately understands that Seina did it so that Naruto can keep everything his parents had left him. If she hadn't, the village would have the ability to take everything away from Naruto when he reaches civilian majority.

"So you see why she took action," Hiruzen says. "Therefore, you also know that now as they are both officially civilians I cannot give you their contact information due to the Civilian-Ninja Privacy Act. Ninja's can request other ninja's contact info but not that of civilians."

The Uchiha head nods. "I suppose, I'll just have to hope I see them in the village." He bows his head. "I am very much looking forward to the next Council meeting. I do not expect to see Ryuu-sama there but the look on the elder's faces will be enjoyable," he gives the famous Uchiha smirk before he leaves.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Edited: 3/27/2017


	2. Two Can Keep A Secret

When his mama sits them down, two weeks after his birthday, to tell him of how she's going to make sure he keeps his parents stuff he's confused. Aren't they both already civilians? He asks her and she shakes her head no. "A ninja who decides to stop being a ninja, or in other words retire, are considered civilians. They can never be summoned by the Hokage to go on missions and they can't easily be found by other ninjas. A ninja who is off duty can be put back on duty by the Hokage and they can easily be found by other ninjas. I'm not really a civilian, Naruto. I'm a ninja who has been taken off duty."

He think of his mama going back to being a ninja and fear strikes in his heart. She could be killed! "Let's do it!"

"A-Are you sure Naruto? If we do this, you'll be formally giving up your chance to be a ninja. The Academy will never accept you because of your blindness, but while I was looking for ways to protect your inheritence I found out that if you're chosen by somebody to be an apprentice then you can be a ninja. In fact, that's the other way we can make sure you get what your parents left you." Seina just wants to make sure Naruto is aware he has another option.

Naruto nods, "I'm sure."

Seina smiles, "Okay than. How about I sit here to finish all the boring paperwork while you go play in the back?"

**~~~**

The Ryuu clan was known for their sword skills, bloodline that enhance their senses and body, fighting style, and weapon forging.

The strongest bond one can have with their weapon is if it is forged by the user. Every Ryuus' sword was forged by their own hand as every child began their lessons in weapon forging once they stared the academy -- which were taught by the Head of the Ryuu clan. Everyday weapons like kunai and shuriken were not forged by the Ryuus and they also didn't make weapons for just anybody. The Kusanagi is the last sword that was forged for someone outside the clan. Ultimately, it was stolen from the dead wielder's grave. 

Although the Ryuu clan was not one of the first clans that joined the village they are the oldest one. Their lineage can be traced back to when samurais were the defenders of the world. 

The honor of the clan began to decline as their numbers did. A clan of over 300 ninjas were down to half after the Third Ninja War. When the Kyuubi attacked they were wiped out.

Ryuus know better than anybody that they are not invincible. However, that never stops them from taking the riskier positions. Therefore after the Nine-Tails Attack, it did not surprise Seina at all that she was the only Ryuu left. If she hadn't been away on a mission she would have been dead too.

Now, her clan is known as one of sacrifice.

Seina is giving up the honor her deceased family to protect Naruto's inheritance and privacy. It's not something she will ever regret, but she would be lying if she says it doesn't leave an hollow pit in her heart. Seina wonders if her clansmen, her friends, and her parents felt that hollowness before they died. The last Ryuu shakes her head. She has to get over herself, this sacrifice is nothing compared to theirs.

"Mama."

Seina stops filling out the paperwork and looks at the doorway, "Yes kitten?"

"I know what I want for my birthday next year," he says a bit bashfully.

"Whatever you want, Naruto."

"Next...Next year, ca...Next year, can you tell me about how you got me?" He whispers, almost afraid of what she might say.

She gets up and hugs him, "Of course, Naruto."

* * *

Seina is rather thankful that there is no cut off date for enrolling children in kindergarten. It isn't until now that she sees what damage she did to Naruto by keeping him isolated. It hurts her to see him so nervous at the thought of talking to others that he's close to tears. Fortunately for her, its part of the school's policy to allow parents to sit in during class until the child is more comfortable. When she assures Naruto of this, he instantly calms down. It does not ease her worries of him though. She hopes that he will make friends.

"Hello class! Today we have someone new and their mother joining us. Now, it's been about three months since we've started school but I want you to all get along with him! Introduce yourself," Ms. Yuki says to Naruto.

"H-Hello, my name is Naruto Uzumaki-Namikaze," the blonde looks at his feet.

Seina smiles at the kids and pats Naruto's head. "I am his adopted mother Seina Ryuu."

A girl with pale blonde hair raises her hand. The Yamanaka heiress probably, Seina vaguely remembers Inoichi taking on more missions to pay for his baby's necessities. "Yes, Ino, you have a question?" The teacher asks.

"What does adopted mean, Ms. Yuki?" Other kids nod in agreement. Naruto shifts uncomfortably, thinking about what Sasuke said about his mother. He looks around and feels relief that the Uchiha is not in the class. The instructor looks at the pair to determine if they want it to be clarified or not.

Seina clears her throat, "It means that Naruto's mom couldn't take care of him, so I take care of him and treat him as my son."

"Where is his mom ?" A student in the back with pink hair shouts.

Before the teacher can admonish the girl for her insensitive question, Naruto interrupts her. "She's dead, along with my dad. They died fighting that fox."

His answers brings silence to the class. The kids in Naruto's class are all from civilian or ninja clans. On the day of the Kyuubi attack, one clan and hundreds of ninjas who thought they would not be sorely missed sacrificed themselves on the front lines to protect their families. Only one orphan was made on the day of the Nine-Tail attack as a result. Most of these children know nothing of death. Thought Seina can imagine that if the extreme precaution of evacuating the citizens for Kushina's birth hadn't been taken under the pretense of it being a practice drill turned real the orphanage would be filled. _'Ahh here I go again with my what could have beens,'_ Seina thinks as she pats Naruto's head and leads him to an empty desk in the back. She leaves to sit nearby in the area reserved for observing parents.

* * *

It takes a month for Naruto to be comfortable enough so that Seina doesn't have to go with him. In that time, he befriends the Aburame heir Shino. Thinking of the look of shock, well as shocked as an Aburame will allow themself to look, on Shino's face when Naruto offered to help him look for bugs brings a smile to her face. Their friendship is an unintentional perfect match. Shino will understand Naruto's roomate, so to say, better than anyone. As the months go by the blonde jinchuriki comes home with more and more stories of his friends. Incidentally, they are all heirs: Shino Aburame, Hinata Hyuuga, Ino Yamanaka and Kiba Inuzuka. An odd group considering Ino's and Kiba's tempermental personalities along with Shino's and Hinata's quiet natures. She supposes that Naruto balances them out with his considerate and understanding persona.

When their birthdays come along Naruto is invited to each party. However, Seina is worried because at the parties nobody will know Naruto's name or person, they will just see the possession marks on his face and instantly be aware of what he carries. The villagers were never told of his furry problem but it isn't a hard conclusion to come to. She cannot allow Naruto to be rejected without an explanation. She tells him gently, "I'm sorry Naruto, but I'm not allowing you to go to any parties. It ties in with what I'm going to tell you on your 6th birthday. How about we buy them the best presents we can find? Then for your birthday, we'll have a small celebration with your friends. It will be a week early and do not tell them the day of your actual birthday. Let them assume the day of the celebration is your birth date. Okay?"

For Shino's birthday, Naruto gives him a necklace with a preserved kikaichū that Shino had been particularly fond of due to its jade shell. The day of Kiba's birthday, he gifts the Inuzuka a bracelet with a sharp ceramic tooth and matching collar for Akamaru. When Ino's birthday rolls around, he gives her a hair clip with purple flowers for her to pull back the bangs that are always bothering her.

**~~~**

On September 25th, Naruto walks merrily to his school. His mama by his side is yawning. Usually, they barley make it on time to school since both are horrible morning people. Too bad for Seina's beauty sleep, today is the day Naruto is giving out his birthday invitations to his friends so he woke up an hour early because of his excitement. The closer they walk to the school, the more nervous Seina gets. A few more people will recognize Naruto for what he carries and his lineage and she's not sure how this will effect Naruto's friendships.

"Good morning Shino-kun, Hinata-chan, Ino-chan, and Kiba-kun!" Naruto says loudly to get the attention of his friends. Unintentionally, he gets the attention of their parents as well. He doesn't notice them as his focus is solely on his four friends. "Mama said I could invite you guys over to my house for dinner and cake. Its my birthday!"

Seina comes up behind him and thumps him on the back of the head. "Naruto! That was very rude and I taught you better than that young man! Their parents are here and you just went around them instead of introducing yourself!"

"Ack! Yes mama! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" Naruto turns to his friend's parents. They all step back and end up in a row. He bows, "I'm so very sorry for my rude entrance."

"I suppose this is the time to introduce you to my parents. Why? Because we all happen to be here," Shino says. "Mother and Father, this is my friend Naruto."

"Greetings, Naruto. I am Shibi Aburame and this is my wife Aki Aburame," the Clan Head holds out his hand. To his surprise, Naruto grabs it gently. Normally, others hold his hand too tightly and squish some of his kikaichū in the process. He nods once in approval.

His wife sees this and decides to bring the blonde in a hug instead, "It's great to finally meet you, Naruto. Shino talks about you quite a bit."

Naruto smiles brilliantly, "Yup, that's me! The oh, so famous, Naruto Uzumaki-Namikaze, and this is my mom Seina Ryuu!"

Seina steps up when Naruto introduces her. She notices the gleam of understanding in Shibi's eye as two truths are revealed to him. The Aburame Head leans over to whisper something to his wife. Aki not so subtly looks at Naruto's hair, eyes, and birthmarks. The woman is obviously a civilian. "Yes, I am Naruto's adopted mother. Seina Ryuu, head of and last surviving member of the Ryuu clan."

Shibi recognizes the threat, not that it is necessary. Who is he to judge Naruto for what he has sealed inside him? "Ah yes...The council was most displeased when the Hokage announced that your petitions to turn the Ryuu and Uzumaki-Namikaze clans into civilian clans were approved. Shino has permission to go to Naruto-kun's birthday dinner."

Said blonde whoops. Shino pushes up his glasses in satisfaction. Seina smiles gently while patting Shino softly on the head. "Thank you, Shino-kun, for being friends with my son." Shibi and Aki chuckle when they see a slight pink tint on Shino's cheeks.

Ino interrupts by grabbing Naruto's hand and dragging him to where her parents are. "Mommy, Daddy, this is my friend Naruto Uzumaki-Namikaze and his adopted mom Seina Ryuu."

Inoichi grabs both of Naruto's hands and shakes them with a smile. "Naruto, it is nice to finally meet you and you as well Ryuu-sama."

Ino's mother, Hana, hugs the jinchuriki. "Of course our little Ino is allowed to go to celebrate your birthday. When is it again?"

"October 1st!"

"Oh, and that's the day of your birth?" She says warily.

Seina's eyes narrow. It's obvious Ino's parents know the truth so what do they need confirmation for? She lays her hands on Naruto's shoulders when he tenses. In the back of her mind she is glad that Naruto will never be a ninja because he is not one to lie. "I'm so glad that Ino-chan will be joining us. Now, if you excuse us there are two other parents we must talk to."

She leads Naruto to where Hinata and Kiba are waiting with their parents. "Hello. I am the Head of the Ryuu clan Seina Ryuu, and this is my adopted son Naruto Uzumaki-Namikaze." The two adults in front of her are a bit surprised. The Inuzuka woman not so discreetly looks over her son. The Hyuuga does a much better job. Seina doesn't see any disgust so she allows Naruto to go forward and hand his last two invitations to his friends.

"I am Hiashi Hyuuga. It is a pleasure to meet you Ryuu-sama. I was most surprised when I heard about the Ryuu and Uzumaki-Namikaze clans conversion from ninja to civilian. Your reasons behind doing so are most admirable." He bows. "As a father and Head of the Hyuuga clan, I am most grateful to your son. It is his friendship with my daughter that has helped her come out of her shell. I believe this will help her training when she turns seven next year."

"Ahh...I forgot clan training begins a year before they enter the Ninja Academy. Naruto will be starting his own training soon. As you know he cannot be a ninja but seeing as a lot of his friends are ninjas I think Naruto will like to be able to help them. I'm going to teach him how to forge weapons, write seals, and make durable ninja clothing." Seina hopes it will help Naruto cope with not being able to go to school with his friends.

Kiba's mother grins. The Ryuu clan is known for their weaponry and she can't wait to get her hands on some of their merchandise. "I am Tsume Inuzuka, Head of the Inuzuka clan. I'm excited to try out your weapons. The current weapon shop and ninja gear shop are great and all but they don't do customize jobs. From what I heard about your clan's skill they will have nothing on you."

Seina smirks, "Of course not. If you excuse me Hyuuga-sama and Inuzuka-sama, it is time for our children to enter the school and I would like to say good-bye to Naruto before that. Please do not inform anybody of Naruto just yet and warn the others as well. I will not be kind to those who put my son in danger -- whether intentionally or not. I hope your children join Naruto and I on October 1st. Good day." She shoots a quick burst of intense killer intent at the parents and walks away.

As the six parents see her kiss Naruto on his cheeks in good-bye they have the same thought, _'This woman could seriously kill me.'_ It doesn't occur to either of the council members that Naruto didn't look blind until much later but they know as a fact that he is blind. How the heck is Ryuu-sama planning on teaching all of that to a blind kid? 

**~~~**

On the day of Naruto's birthday celebration, the genjustu over his eyes expresses his joy clearly. However, he doesn't open his presents from his friends until after they leave. It would have been embarrassing for him to have to act excited over something he can't see. Also he still isn't quite sure if he wants his friends to know of his blindness. Shino gives him coupons to Ichiraku's. Naruto and his mama get delivery from there about once every two weeks. Ino gives Naruto a pot and seeds for orange roses. She was ecstatic when she learned about Naruto's and Seina's love for gardening -- a hobby they enjoy doing together. Kiba gives his orange loving friend a pair of goggles that his mom recommended. He doesn't know what they are for but they're pretty bad ass in his opinion. Hinata gives him a photo album with pictures of their little adventures. Only their little group knows that one of Hinata's hobbies is photography.

**~~~**

On October 10th, Seina sits Naruto down and tells him everything. She tells him of the Red Hot-Blooded Habanero Kushina Uzumaki and The Yellow Flash Yondaime Hokage Minato Namikaze. She tells him of Kushina being the Kyuubi jinchuriki before him, explaining it as the reason why he has those whisker marks on his face. She informs him of his mother's seal weakening during his birth and it the Kyuubi. Seina tells him of how it wrecked havoc on the village before his father used a seal which required his life as a sacrifice to make Naruto the new container. She tells him that Kushina died from having the Kyuubi ripped out of her. She even tells him of how the Hokage revealed to the council that he would never be able to be a ninja. She summarizes to him all the ways the Hokage helped him. How Hiruzen made his status as a jinchuriki an S-class secret in fear of how the villagers would treat him, how Hiruzen gave him the right to his inheritance by allowing him to use his parent's surnames, and how Hiruzen and the council assigned her as his ANBU guard to protect him.

Naruto is understanding about Seina's reclusive life, that by extension he lives. He doesn't even shed a tear for the parents he never met. "It's gonna sound kind of bad but I don't know them so I don't miss them. They don't really matter. You are my mama." He says this with a scrunched up nose. He smiles as a confirmation of his words.

Seina nods with tears in her eyes. If she had actually known the Hokage and his wife she would have been worried. She would have insisted that Naruto love his parents because they loved him. She would tell him stories about them so that he can feel like he knows them. But Seina had never bothered to get to know either of them beyond their king-subordinate relationship. The only thing she has ever felt towards the two was respect. Seina feels a little guilty that she is relieved that Naruto thinks of her as all the parental-figure he needs. The Ryuu Head loves Naruto like a son. Naruto is her sole reason to live. Her last mission that stopped feeling like one the moment she held him in her arms. She isn't sure how she would have handled it if Naruto decided he wants his real parents instead of her.

Seina sighs, "There's another thing about your blindness, but I won't tell you about it until your older. I don't think you'll really understand it right now."

Naruto nods. He knows his mom will tell him one day and is honestly tired of the dreary stuff. It's his birthday, he wants to spend time laughing with his mama!

Seina kisses him on the forehead and caresses his whiskers. She can't help but think of what kind of life Naruto might have had if he wasn't blind. Would he still be under her care? Would all the villagers know of what he carried? Would they hate him? Would he still have his friends by his side? She shakes her head, _'What matters is that he is happy despite everything I told him.'_

When she goes to bed one fear prevents her from sleeping. How is she suppose to tell her son that he will never be able to find his true love? Seina curses her world for having soulmates. She curses Naruto's parents for sacrificing him for the village. She would have chosen her child over the damn village. She loves the village yes, but she loves Naruto more. She curses the person responsible for Naruto's blindness: the fates, Kami-sama, whoever. As she finally fell asleep, she can't help but feel sorry for Naruto's soulmate.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Edited: 3/27/2017


	3. Back to Black

Birthdays come and go as the years pass by. Currently at the age of twelve, Naruto has perfected the art of tailoring. He is well on his way to mastering weapon forging and writing seals. Naruto hasn't seen much of his childhood friends. They attend the Ninja Academy and he is home-schooled. But they do always come to his birthday events when he invites them. In the end, he knows they care for him despite them being too busy with clan and ninja training to hang out with him on a regular basis. Not that he himself has a lot of free time. Seina trains Naruto in weapon forging, seals, design, and in the other three typical ninja arts. She wants him to be able to defend himself should anything occur. She also tutors him in other subjects such as math, writing, history, etc. Now that he is thinking about it, it isn't his friends who don't have time for him but rather he who doesn't have time for them. He spends most of his time learning the Ninja and Civilian curriculum along with his three different apprenticeships -- his mama's version of clan training. It surprises him that not one of his friends have caught on to the fact that he is blind. Then again, him and Seina do their best not to venture into the village often so they have never caught him off guard.

The door bell rings and Naruto freezes. He has long gotten over his shyness but this is still his first time manning the store. Naruto takes a deep breath. He makes sure to the henge that changes the appearance of his eyes and covers his whiskers before walking out of the back room. "Welcome to Uzuryuu Ninja Equipment, how may I help you?" There is silence. Naruto knows the customer is still there. He can feel their chakra signature. It isn't possible to distinguish gender by chakra signature so he decides to risk it. "Uhhh...sir?"

**~~~**

The equipment shop has only been opened for a few months. Despite this, it is already gaining a good reputation. Asuma bought a pair of chakra blades when they first opened. He is especially pleased with them because they can store chakra and are attuned only to his chakra. Therefore, only he can use them. Hayate ordered a sword for his soulmate/student Yugao and is slightly jealous of the fact that the sword has all of the features of the chakra blades along with a seal that enhances elemental affinities. The sword even has a seal that protects the blade from water damage. Hayate even gushed of how the store owner said that Yugao can get it sharpened for free whenever she needs to. Hayate also off-highhandedly mentioned that to the store owner that purple is Yugao's favorite color and the store owner made the handle of the sword with purple engravings without extra charge. Which means that she can see color. It's these things that make the weapons brilliant.

When Kakashi had heard his two friends speak about the shop his interest peaked. He knows that only a master of sealing and forgery is able to balance out the elements of a seal with the elements of metals. Kakashi has been meaning to get the White Chakra Sabre fixed for a long time but blacksmiths are hard to come by in Konoha -- who mainly produces basic ninja tools. They have that family out in the woods who makes all different types of weapons, but he just needs his fixed not modified. Thus it is the perfect opportunity to satisfy his curiosity and get his family heirloom fixed, kill two birds with one stone and all that. He did not expect to see a mini-Yondaime running the store. He's pretty sure that Asuma and Hayate would have mentioned it and is 99% confident the boy can't be Naruto. The Hokage said he was dead...Actually the Hokage never said anything when Kakashi asked. He just assumed the worst.

"Uhh...sir?" The Minato look-a-like says.

 _'Oh,'_ it occurs to him that he is staring. "Err...Yeah. I'm here to get my sabre fixed." Kakashi hands the boy the broken sabre and uses this time to stare at him. Naruto doesn't seem to notice. Kakashi keeps staring.

Naruto feels the chakra of the blade making sad waves throughout the store. The blade hasn't been used in a long time. It feels abandoned. "Alright Mister, let me call up my mama. She's the one who creates and repairs. Don't be surprised if she takes one look at the blade and wants to kill you though." It takes a second for Kakashi to realize what the kid said. Belatedly, he thinks he should run. Women are scary. "MAAAAMMMAAA WE GOT A REPAIR REQUEST!" The blonde shouts into the doorway behind him. It's too late, women are even scarier when you waste their time.

"I'M COMING!"

Kakashi sighs and resigns himself to his fate. Then she appears. He has to catch his breath. The walls of the shop are a soft orange and the Minato look-a-like has bright yellow hair. She is beautiful with her dark hair that contrast sharply from his own silver, nearly white, mane. She looks at him but not with astonishment. Instead, her eyes are closed as if she is trying to collect herself.

"You've seen me before," Kakashi states, looking into her eyes.

Naruto is confused. Seina is sad and the man who came in seems to be part of the reason. "Mama?"

She pats him on the head, "Go to the back and work on your seals, kitten." Lately, he's been insistent on her not calling "kitten." But he knows right now isn't the time so he leaves and closes the door behind him. "I was suppose to be a part of your ANBU squad but I didn't want you to see me." Seina tells him and it _hurts._

"How did you see me? How did I not sense your presence?"

"I'm a Ryuu. What enhances our body is the nature chakra that is naturally absorbed into our own chakra reserves. When we are surrounded by enough nature we become a part of the ecosystem."

Kakashi clenches his fists, "After the Kyuubi Attack, everyone I loved was dead. I thought I was alone but I had hope. I still saw grey so you had to be out there somewhere. Years went by and I started thinking that you were dead -- or worse -- if I even had a soulmate. You knew for _years_ and you left me _all alone_."

Seina flinches at his words. This is what she didn't want, _doesn't_ want. She doesn't want to feel his pain. She doesn't want someone to have the ability to tear her down with just a few words. She successfully evaded him for years. She caused him pain but it didn't affect her so she didn't care. The resentment he feels towards her now echos in her chest. She knows that he will hate her, that they will be beyond repair when she tells him. "I...I," Seina takes a deep breathe to keep herself from crying, "I've been taking care of Naruto. He's not dead. Sandaime-sama wanted you to meet him, but Naruto is under my care and I refused."

He snarls at her, "I don't want to see you again. But I'm going to have to if I want my dad's sabre fixed and to be part of Naruto's life. _Just don't talk to me._ I'll be back later to talk to Naruto." He walks out, leaving his sabre and soulmate behind.

* * *

Naruto peaks through the door. He can hear his mama crying. "Mama, are you okay?"

Seina wipes her tears to look at her son, "I can't see the color of your hair anymore Naruto."

He knows what colors. However, he's never really thought about them because he knows he will never be able to see them. In his world they don't exist. "What color is it?" He asks with curiosity.

"It...Its yellow. Bright, like when you look at the sun. Now...Now, I can't see it. I can't see my sunshine."

"What do you mean you can't see it? What did that man do to you mama?"

Seina sits on the floor. She leans on the front desk and opens her arms. She sighs in content when Naruto crawls into them. "Naruto, I told you about your parents but there are other people besides your parents who love you very much. People who were close to the Yondaime-sama and Kushina-sama. One of those people was the man who was in here earlier. His name is Kakashi Hatake. He was on Minato-sama's genin team and was very close to your parents. I'm sure they wanted him to be something like a big brother to you. When they died, the Hokage asked me to allow Kakashi to see you because he was depressed since he though you were dead. I refused."

"Why?" Naruto's voice doesn't hold any anger just confusion.

"In our world we have something called soulmates. We are born colorblind and when we see our soulmates we are given the ability to see colors. I saw Kakashi when I first joined the ANBU. I was sixteen and at the height of my ninja career. I thought I had years left until I would see my soulmate. I was scared. Having a soulmate that is also an ANBU...is frightening."

"There is seeing your soulmate, than there is making eye contact with your soulmate. When you make eye contact, a bond is formed which enables you to feel what they feel -- whether physical or emotional. This also enables your soulmate's words to drastically affect you. If they give you a compliment its like you are in a happy daze. If they say something negative about you its like they are crushing your heart. I got out of there as fast as I could before Kakashi could see me so that the bond wouldn't be formed. If I had allowed Hatake to be a part of our lives we would have bonded. I wouldn't have been able to focus solely on you and...I don't want to be in love anyways."

He frowns. "But you _cried_ mama, when he said he didn't want to see you anymore."

"Hmmm...You and your enhanced hearing. We made eye contact so the bond was formed. The resentment and hatred he feels for me overpowers my own feelings. When he said he didn't want to see me again, his words imply that he is rejecting me. He will be able to see color and is cut off from being influenced by what I feel...Being rejected...is worse than being dead. You go back to being colorblind and you can still feel their pain, their hatred, their happiness. The bond is broken and it is very difficult to rebuild. In cases like mine, the rejected ones usually die from a broken heart."

Naruto inhales sharply, "You can't _die,_ mama. You can't leave me alone."

Seina hugs him tighter, "Of course not, kitten. How can I die from a broken heart when I love you more than anything in the world?"

"...Do I have to see him again?"

"It's what your parents would have wanted."

He sighs. "Okay...I'm blind. So I'll never be able to find out who my soulmate is or make a bond with them?"

"I think so," his mama tells him.

It's not that he really wants to find his soulmate. He just needs clarification. Soulmates are just another thing to add onto the list of Things Being Blind Keeps Me From Doing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Edited: 3/28/2017


End file.
